Automotive vehicles powered by an electric motor or an electric motor and a gasoline engine are commonly referred to as electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV). As is well known in the art, such vehicles include batteries for supplying power to the electric motors thereof. Electric and hybrid-electric vehicles typically provide for charging such batteries using an interface configured to rectify electrical power from a 120 volt or 240 volt alternating current (AC) utility power line for storage by the vehicle batteries.
Electric and hybrid-electric vehicles also include an inverter for use in converting the direct current (DC) voltage provided by the vehicle batteries to an AC voltage for use in powering the electric motor or motors of the vehicle. Such an inverter may comprise switching modules, such as integrated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules, and a DC link capacitor, which itself may comprise a plurality of film capacitors.
In converting an input DC voltage to an AC voltage output, the film capacitors of the DC link capacitor generate heat as a result of the switching operations of the IGBT power modules. The heat generated as a result of such operations should be dissipated so that the inverter may continue to operate efficiently. Such heat generated by the operation of the IGBT power modules and the DC link capacitor may be dissipated using a coldplate provided as part of the inverter.
In that regard, an exemplary power converter for use in electric or hybrid-electric vehicles is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,974,101 entitled “Power Converter.” Exemplary heat dissipating devices, as well as various features thereof, are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,441 entitled “Cooling Device Of Electronic Part Having High And Low Heat Generating Elements,” in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0081191 entitled “Anisotropic Heat Spreader For Use With A Thermoelectric Device,” and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0078807 entitled “Power Semiconductor Module Assembly With Heat Dissipating Element.”
However, due to the heat generated as a result of the operation of an inverter used in an EV or HEV, there exists a need for additional heat dissipation beyond that which may be provided by standard coldplates currently in use with an EV or HEV inverter. Such an inverter would include a heat conductor configured to contact the DC link capacitor in order to provide for additional dissipation of the heat generated by inverter operation.